How to Calculate Total Body Fat

Knowing your body fat percentage is necessary to help determine if you are carrying extra fat and placing yourself at a higher risk of medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. While it is just as important to maintain a healthy weight, you also need to know what percentage of your weight is muscle and what percentage is fat. There are various ways to determine your percent body fat.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure

Show More

Instructions

Formula for Females

• 1

  Write down your current weight and multiply it by 0.732. Add 8.987 to your answer.

• 2

  Measure your wrist at the widest point. Divide this number by 3.140. Measure your waist at the widest point and multiply this number by 0.157.

• 3

  Measure your hips at the widest point and multiply this number by 0.249. Measure your forearm at the widest point and multiply this number by 0.434.

• 4

  Add your answer from step 1 to your wrist measurement answer from step 2. Subtract your waist measurement answer from step 2 from this number. Then, subtract your hip measurement answer from step 3.

• 5

  Add your answer from your forearm measurement (step 3) to your answer in step 4. This is your lean body mass. Subtract your lean body mass from your current weight. Multiply that answer by 100. Divide your answer by your current weight. This number is your percentage of body fat.

Formula for Males

• 6

  Write down your current weight and multiply it by 1.082. Add 94.42 to your answer.

• 7

  Measure your waist at the widest point and subtract is by your answer in step 1. This is your lean body weight. Subtract your lean body weight from your current weight.

• 8

  Multiply your answer in step 2 by 100. Divide your answer by your current weight. This number is your percentage of body fat.